Illuminated sign



Ap 17, 1934. H. J. FORCE ILLUMINATED SIGN Filed March 9. 1952J2-20623257. f/@ro'a 155101406 fifa , Patented Apr. I'Z, 1934ILLUMINATED slGN Harold J. Force, Niles Center, lll. Application nach 9,1932, serial No. 597,731

This invention relates in general to a caution, Warning, directional oradvertising display sign provided with means for rendering it moreattractive or more easily seen or for illuminating 5 it by natural orartificial light, and has more particular reference to a caution orwarning sign which has a marginal rim-*either plain or colored, mademore visible by illuminating lights such as a nood light or anautomobile head-light.

Among the objects of the invention are: to

provide additional illumination for a caution, Warning, directional oradvertising display sign; to distinctively set off a directional ordisplay sign by natural or artiilcial illumination; to provide means forattaching illuminating means to a sign or advertising display; toprovide means for locking an illuminating display upon a sign ordisplay; to attach a marginal illuminating rim or outline to a sign ordisplay; toprevent the unauthorized removal of a marginal or outlineilluminator; to produce an inexpensive metal holder for a running glassreflector; to produce a reflecting glass holder in which sectionsthereof may be slipped in place for easy repair and replacement; toprovide a sheet metal holder which readily conforms to display signs, ofdifferent shapes; to provide an inexpensive sheet metal holder which maybe attached to wood and metal signs; and in general to produce theilluminating display holder for signs herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawing illustrates different forms of the invention,and in Fig. 1 is a view in elevation ofa directional sign provided witha marginal reilector in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of one corner oi the attaching meansfor a sign illuminator of this kind;

tig. 3 is a sectional view takenA on the line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a modification of fastening;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a modified holder; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a holder adapted for attachment to woodsigns.

In illuminating caution, warning, directional or display signs foradvertising and other purposes it is customary to employ plain andcolored reflector buttons which outline the display letters, to utilizereflecting plates otmetal or glass in which the words or characters tobe made prominmt are shown in relief or in outline. (v

The present invention provides tor the further the angular or corner inclaims. (ci. 40-130) distinctive illumination of a new sign or displayor of an old one already erected or placed in position by applyingthereto a marginal frame or an outline adapted to receive and hold anilluminating medium such as glass, either plain or ably wide angledisplay or sign m and in this observer, renderin the approach ofwarning, or directional sign of vision therefrom will receive thereflected or illuminated rays which make the ore evident or moreattractive,

way direct it to the attention of the g more noticeable, for example, anautomobile to a caution,

placed along the roadside, and making more attractive-a window or otherdisplay so that an observer will be attracted more readily thereto.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, a standard s top sign 8is shown in Fig. l,

of a type commonly used for highway signs, often made of thin `menameled or othe etal and having the surfaces rwise covered andprotected to resist wear and Weather. These signs are relativelyinconspicuous and usually have no means of illuminating them nor ofmaking them stand out brilliantly in the dark except the contrastingcolor of the directional indicators or letters 9.

By applying to a sectional reflector consisting of tors l0 and l1, itwith a distinctive sign of this kind a marginal,

running reflec outline the sign renders it conl is possible to marginwhich spicuous and glowing under the light rays from the headlights ofthe sign itself will be more apparent and the direction which it anapproaching vehicle so that bears will be more readily seen.

The running reflectorslO and 11 may have an enlarged outer rounded lensportion 12, as shown in Fig. 3, with a reilecting surface reflectingcoating reduced neck 13 and a convex 14 provided with any suitable 95such as a. mirror or the like, or

provided with a number of innumerable rounded depressions 15 which actas reflectors magnified by the outer running lens portion 12 andpreferably covered by a reflecting medium such as a 190 silver or foilbacking and protected by a plastic or other coating.

A holderfor the running reflectors adapted to embrace the edge in Fig. 3comprising a back portion 17 adapted to extend along the portion 18extending of a thin metal sign 8 is shown edge of the sign with a bentover the edge to the front of the sign and having a reverse bend 19 anda porinwardly bent eds tion 20 abutting the front of the sign and alower e 21 to form a dovetailed chan- 110 nel into which the holder orneck portions of the reflector elements 10 and 11 are slidable. At theends of each back portion 17 are perforated ears 22 adapting the varioussections to be secured together at the angles or corners of the sign byfastening means such as screws or rivets 23. The ears may be formed outof the back portion itself or angular pieces 24 may be separatelyattached at the ends as shown in Fig. 2, to connect the holders at thecorners.

Instead of the perforated ears, cooperating interlocking ears 25 and 26may be provided, as shown in Fig. 4, it being customary to compress theinterlocking edges when the illuminating holders and elements are inplace upon a sign to prevent their unnoticed removal.

A somewhat simpler form is shown in Fig. 5, in which a clip 27 extendsover the opposite sides of the edge of a sign to which is attached adovetailed holder 28 by soldering, riveting, or spot welds 29. In thisholder is shown an illuminating member 30 having a base of a Width to bereceived in the dove-tailed groove and an outer, rounded, continuouslens portion 31 with a reflecting back 32 of any desired form.

In..order to attach a holder of this kind to a sign made of wood, theback leg 33 of a holder clip 34 is extended at right angles thereto andhas a perforation through which a screw 35 or other suitable fasteningdevice may be inserted into the wood or frame 36 of the sign.

To` attach reflecting elements to a sign or display at other points thanabout the marginal edge thereof, the back clip or holder may be omittedand the front or dove-tailed portion may be perforated and attached byscrews or other fastening means directly to the sign. The reflecting orilluminating means is then inserted in the dove-tailed groove whichconceals the fastening means.

With these various constructions it is obvious that the reflecting andilluminating means are readily attached tothe margin or edge, or to anoutline in a sign, or they may be placed to constitute the sign itself;the holders may be attached together against unauthorized removal and bymaking the illuminating means sectional, the parts thereof are easilyreplaced and removed should they become broken or need repair, or shouldit be desired to change the colors of the reflectors themselves. Suchholders are readily attached to signs already erected, either of metalor of Wood, which will enable the signs already in use to be equippedthe same as those which may be supplied later with these refiectingmembers.

It is obvious that special contours of reectors and holders may beprovided, such for example, as the shield designs representing theUnited States through traffic route markers.

Various other changes and modifications may be made in the holders, andin the form of the reflecting members, without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention.

I claim:

' 1. The combination with a sign, of a holder adapted to engage theadjacent front and rear edges at the margin of the sign and comprising adove-tailed holder and a reflecting medium maarre having a wide angle ofreflection and adapted te slidably engage in the dove-tailed portion ofthe holder.

2. The combination with a sign, of a holder for the marginal edge of thesign adapted to engage over the front and rear faces thereof, means forsecuring angular holder sections together about the sign, a recessedsupporting portion at the front of the holder, and a reflectingilluminating means movable in the recessed supporting portion.

3. A holder for sign reflectors comprising a sheet metal clip to fitover the opposite faces of a sign member, a grooved slide memberattached to the clip and to extend along the margin of the sign on oneside, and a reflecting member movable in the slide.

4. A marginal holder for sign reflectors, comprising a sheet metal clipsection to fit over the edge of a sign, means for attaching adjacentsections together at the ends, and means for mounting a reflectingmember in the clip at one side of the sign.

5. A marginal holder for sign reflectors comprising a sheet metal stripbent to engage over the opposite faces of a sign and having a dovetailedportion on the exposed side of the sign extending along the marginthereof to receive a reflector.

6. A holder for sign reflectors comprising a metal strip bent to embraceopposite sides of a sign at the edge thereof and a dove-tailed sectionextending along the edge of the sign at one side thereof.

'7. A holder according to claim 6 in which the dove-tailed section isformed as an integral part of the strip which is reversely bent uponitself at one side of the dove-tailed section.

8. A holder for sign reflectors for angular margins, comprising aholding strip to engage opposite faces of a sign and with a recessedfront portion, the ends being angularly cut to fit closely together, andperforated fastening ears at the ends of the strips by which they arefastened together.

9. The combination with a marginal holder for signs, of a recessedmember at the front, a sectional running reflector slidable into therecess, means for securing the end of the holder together and thusholding the reflector sections in place.

10. A reflector holder for signs comprising an angular holder to engageadjacent faces at the edge of a sign, a dove-tailed reector supportattached to one angular portion of the holder, and means for securingthe other angular portion of the holder to a sign.

11. A metal strip holder for sign reflectors comprising a clip portionto fit over the edge of a thin metal sign and an attached portion on oneI face forming a receiving groove to extend along the edge of a sign,the ends of the holder being angularly cut to t an angularly shapedsign, the ends of the holder having perforated projections at the rear,and fastening means inserted through the perforations of adjacentprojections by which the holder is secured to a sign.

HAROLD J. FORCE.

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